LACE is proud to present Art Against Empire—Graphic Responses to U.S. Intervention Since World War II, curated by Carol A. Wells from the archives of the Center for the Study of Political Graphics (CSPG). Featuring works by Josh MacPhee, Corita Kent, Jay Belloli, Cedomic Kostovic, Stephen Kroninger, and more.
Art Against Empire uses the power of posters to document 60 years of opposition to U.S. interventions into the domestic affairs of sovereign nations. Political, economic and military interventions, many of them covert, have repeatedly resulted in unacceptable deaths and misery for millions. These posters show hopes and dreams, and the pain of dreams destroyed.
Art Against Empire showcases over 100 political posters in the LACE galleries, spanning two dozen sovereign nations including Korea, Vietnam, the Philippines, Guatemala, Haiti, Cuba, Iran, and South Africa. It attempts to inform, challenge and inspire by confronting the viewer with images of past struggles that remain powerfully relevant today. It both raises questions about past interventions and fosters debate about present ones. The exhibition will also provide insight into why the amount of devastation caused by the recent earthquake in Haiti can be linked to its long history of French colonialism and U.S. imperialism.
The United States is the focus of this exhibition. As citizens, we are ultimately responsible for the actions that are taken by our government in our name. Censorship and repression, so prevalent in wartime, invariably attempt to eliminate dissent, thereby violating the principles on which this democracy was founded. These posters document the efforts of people who refuse to remain silent and who use the power of art to inspire action.